LISTEN: Laura Guarch – ‘Fleeting Light’

Having established herself as a professional vocalist, with collaborations with ACM Gospel Choir and London Contemporary Voices under her belt, Spanish London-based artist Laura Guarch has now shared her debut single. 

Soaring with Guarch’s stunning crystalline vocals and an anthemic emotion-strewn musicality, ‘Fleeting Light’ builds to an ethereal, glistening soundscape. A cinematic, alt-pop ballad with shades of the other-worldly majesty of the likes of Bjork or Kate Bush. Of the track, Guarch explains:

“The idea for Fleeting Light was born on a night looking at the starry sky from a semi-deserted island in Thailand, called Mu Koh Ang Thong. How are the old stars looking at us, humans, and the changes the Earth is experiencing? Fleeting Light imagines million year-old stars looking down on the Earth and watching the history of life on our planet as their Sunday afternoon entertainment.”

Listen to ‘Fleeting Light’ here:

 

Mari Lane
@marimindles

LISTEN: Kynsy – ‘Cold Blue Light’

A dark synth-pop gem that oozes with defiant attitude, Kynsy has shared her latest single ‘Cold Blue Light’. The Dublin-based, multi-instrumentalist places life’s bullies and sarky chancers in her cool spotlight, berating them with her twisted synths and sardonic vocals.

“Haven’t you heard the news? / well you got sick old fashioned views” Kynsy (aka Ciara Lindsey) seethes, refusing to tolerate abuse and societal pressure to conform. Based on her own experience of being at a New Years Eve party watching a man spout racist remarks at people, Kynsy makes it viscerally clear what she thinks of those who “abuse and terrify the young” with the stinging lyric “well I hope someone cuts out your tongue.”

“’Cold Blue Light’ is about the bullies we all encounter in life and looking for meaning in the darkness they create” explains Kynsy. “I wanted to write a song that held some sort of balance between destruction and hope. The result was a rowdy pop song truck full of sticky anger and synth pop goo. The video was filmed just with a camera on a tripod in my back garden, I wanted it to be direct and simple so people could focus on the music.”

Watch the video for ‘Cold Blue Light’ below and follow Kynsy on Spotify & Instagram for more updates.

Photo Credit: Paula Trojner

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Track Of The Day: Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Between Your Teeth’

A tentative rumination on the struggle to communicate your true feelings in a relationship, Ailbhe Reddy has shared her latest single ‘Between Your Teeth’. Lifted from her debut album Personal History, which is set for release on 2nd October via Friends of the Family, the Dublin alt-folk artist blends soft vocals with atmospheric guitars to overcome feelings of frustration and sadness on her new track.

“I think too much / I think for both of us” admits Reddy during the song, contemplating how or when to explain her complex feelings to her partner. Although the track is about a lack of communication between two people, Reddy clearly articulates this struggle with the intimate images in her lyrics – “I can’t hide it anymore / Just to hold her / on the bathroom floor / wait til it’s over” – and her delicately timed drop ins.

Speaking about her new track, Reddy explains: “It’s about the frustration of being unable to communicate in a relationship. Both people hold things back because they either don’t want, or don’t know, how to express themselves. While travelling alone, I always spent a lot of time thinking too much about past conversations and wondering what words were being held back between another person’s teeth.”

Listen to ‘Between Your Teeth’ below and follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

WATCH: DOLLS – ‘Bubble Bath’

London duo DOLLS’ latest single ‘Bubble Bath’ is as pleasingly frothy as its name suggests. A sugary slice of garage rock, delivered with bucketloads of attitude, it rallies against impossible beauty standards and “toxic nice guys” who feel they are owed a relationship after spending precious time getting to know you as a friend.

With their badass, bubblegum vocals and shout-a-long harmonies, the band, made up of Jade and Bel, turn their anger at these injustices into an empowering, inspiring anthem. Backed by scuzzy guitars, they cry, “we are sisters, mothers, daughters, teachers. Anything. Anything. Anything.” It’s power pop in every sense of the word.

As the band sing “We are either goddesses or whores, beautiful or sluts”, they tackle society’s stupid expectations and contradictions so skilfully – and show everyone that you can have a brilliant time while you do it. Who says you can’t start a revolution on the dance-floor?!

Watch the uplifting, fan-filled, DIY video for ‘Bubble Bath’ now:

‘Bubble Bath’ is taken from DOLLS’ Eggshells EP. It was released as part of the Love Record Store Day event on a beautiful limited edition multi-coloured and etched vinyl LP via iconic soundtrack labels Mondo/Death Waltz, and will be released digitally on 28th August.

Vic Conway

Photo Credit: Keira-Anee Photography